Mom Gets Heart-Saving Legislation Signed By Governor

9/14/2016

Tennessee Mom’s Heart-Saving Legislation Moves On to Washington, D.C.

Tennessee Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. is hoping Congress will help put lifesaving defibrillators in every school in the country. “I hope it gets school systems to start at least thinking about having these defibrillators on campus and having at least one or two staff members trained to use the devices," Duncan said.

Tennessee (and 16 other states) have already have enacted laws that require defibrillators in schools. The Tanner Lee Jameson Act was signed into law by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen on April 23, 2010. Tennessee’s law requires all schools in the state to have defibrillators in their gym. The law is named after Tanner Jameson, a 13-year-old who died after a cardiac arrest while playing basketball at Eagleton Middle School in Maryville, Tennessee. At the time, the school had one defibrillator, but it was locked up in the main office. According to Tanner’s mother, Rhonda Harrill, “Nobody really cared. They thought, ‘Oh well Tanner died, that’s just a fluke.’ And that’s my son…I was not going to stand for that,” said Harrill.

So she stood in front of lawmakers in 2010, and again last June as she had another piece of legislation signed into law by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. “[Tanner] had something he needed to share with the world and I was blessed for him to choose me,” said Harrill. “It’s not whose gonna let me, it’s who’s gonna stop me.” Rep. Bob Ramsey has been supporting Rhonda’s efforts all the way.

Duncan said his federal legislation was further inspired by the successful resuscitation of a Holston Middle School student in Knoxville, Tennessee last week. The student collapsed on September 14th while jogging during gym class. Because of the Tanner Lee Jamison law, the school staff had recently completed training on CPR and how to use an AED. Staff members administered CPR and used a defibrillator before the ambulance even arrived.

“It is my hope that we can start hearing more stories about lives that are saved by access to AEDs instead of hearing ones about lives lost due to lack of access,” said Duncan.

If his legislation gets traction in Congress, Duncan said, he may file another bill next year to offer grants and other incentives to encourage schools to have defibrillators on campus.

In Tennessee’s 2016 law, schools are required to have AEDs, regularly practice using them, and hold drills for teachers and staff on how to quickly save someone’s life after a Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Junior and senior high school students will also be trained on how to use AEDs and perform CPR.

“They will have a special code that will come across the intercom…certain teachers will get the AED, certain ones start CPR, other ones call 911, other ones wait for the ambulance to get there,” said Harrill. She says it’s a chance at survival for everyone, young or old. “You can’t hurt dead. It’s better to do something than nothing.”

Last March, Harrill met Kim Smith, whose daughter's life was saved by one of those AEDs she'd lobbied to have in every school gym.

“My daughter’s proof that it works," said Smith. "Because of the AED machine and the training, she’s here with me today."

Her daughter, Brittany Overton, collapsed in the courtyard of her high school two years ago. Thanks to two quick thinking teachers, they were able to save her.

"“The training is very important… I mean, having the machines accessible is critical but then having the training is, because the teachers knew what to do when my daughter went down," said Smith. "And they saved her that day."

“It’s overwhelming, you know, it’s tears of joy but also tears of sadness," said Harrill. "But to save somebody else! The whole time, I'm just thinking, you know, 'thank you, Tanner!'"

Both mothers were quick to point out that Long QT syndrome is often what causes teens to go into cardiac arrest. The heart rhythm condition can potentially cause fast, chaotic heartbeats. That can trigger a sudden fainting spell or seizure, and in some cases, the heart can beat so erratically that it causes sudden death.

“We already have fire and tornado drills in our schools. We hardly ever have one, but we still do it. We still prepare for these events, because they can happen. There’s no reason not to do that with CPR and AED drills”, said Harrill.